Method and apparatus for producing animated cartoons



June 22, 1965 H. MAURER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ANIMATEDCARTOONS Filed April 20, 1961 FIG.

3' 7V CAMERA 2 Sheets-Sheet l k aun lA/EE P14 YBAG/f INVEN TOR.

June 1965 L.1H. MAURER 3,190,955

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ANIMATED CARTOONS Filed April 20.1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

MON/702 JQBEEN 7/ 2 MdT/ON PICTUEE .SCEEE/V INVENTQR. (id V ff #150 351?United States Patent 3,19ti,955 AND APPARATUS FUR PRQDUCING ANEMATEDCARTUONS Leon H. Maurer, New York, N.Y., assignor to Westworld ArtistsProductions Inc., New York, N.Y. Fiied Apr. 24), 1961, Bar. No. 104,3236 Ciaims. (Cl. 178-6) This invention relates to the production of motionpictures. It is more particularly concerned with a process ofautomatically performing important steps in the production of animatedcartoons, and with apparatus for carrying out these steps.

Animated cartoons are characterized by an intentional lack of realismwhich gives a freedom of artistic expression not available with theusual photographic processes of making live action motion pictures.Within this framework of reduced realism, it is still necessary thatmovements of human figures be smoothly and credibly represented. A highlevel of artistic achievement is necessary for drawing successive framesof an animated cartoon in such a manner that the projection of theresulting film produce the illusion of movement in a screen image.

The production of animated cartoons has become extremely expensive wheneach frame is drawn individually. in order to reduce the cost, the workof the most highly skilled artists has been limited to drawing theoutlines of the moving figures, and the task of coloring the outlinedrawings is performed by less expensive personnel. The colored outlinedrawings which are of a size substantially greater than the standard 35millimeter film frame are transferred to the film by mechanizedphotographic processes.

If the outline images of the several frames are produced automatically,the desired lack of realism can be adequately maintained by coloring andother relatively inexpensive hand operations. Purely photographicprocesses have been developed which permit an outline film to beproduced from a live action film taken under suitable conditions. Thesephotographic processes involve repeated transfer of images from anoriginal negative to high contrast copy films and simultaneous printingof two superimposed images of unequal size. The rim area of the largerimage which projects beyond the smaller image eventually is reproducedas an outline picture.

The known photographic processes based on the principle briefly outlinedabove rely on very precise alignment of the two simultaneously copiedunequal images. Such alignment is diificult to achieve with photographicfilm the dimensional stability of which is limited, and misalignment ifany is not readily observed and controlled during printing since alatent image is produced which becomes apparent only after laboratoryprocessing.

A characteristic feature of animated cartoons is the possibility ofdistortion of selected objects and other unrealistic eilects. Sucheffects are capable of being produced to some extent by optical or otherphotographic means, but the results achieved cannot be judged adequatelyuntil a print is developed. The photographic processes for transforminga live action film into an outline film thus are hampered byregistration problems, by the unavoidable delays inherent in thedevelopment of film samples, and the difficulties involved inmaintaining uniform operating conditions without the possibility ofconvenient inspection of the outline film as it is being printed.

It is the primary object of thisinvention to provide a method ofproducing an outline film from a live action film in which nophotographic laboratory processing is necessary to judge the success ofthe transformation of the live action picture into an outline picture.

Another object is the provision of a method and apparatus which providea preview of the outline picture to be produced before photographicemulsion need be exposed.

A further object is the provision of a method and of apparatus forperforming the method which permit visual observation and modificationof a latent outline image on a photographic emulsion while the emulsionis being exposed.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates preferred apparatus for performingthe method of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a modified detail of an apparatus generally similar .tothat of FIG. 1 in diagrammatic representation;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an arrangement for taking a live action filmintended to be converted to an outline film by the method of theinvention; and

FIG. 4 shows a detail of the arrangement of FIG. 3 in front elevation.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, theseveral units of an apparatus for performing a preferred embodiment ofthe method of the invention are shown in diagrammatic representation.

A black-and-white 35 mm. film 1 of a live action scene is fed to aprojector 2 interlocked with a television camera pickup 3 which scansthe image projected by the projector 2 on an internal screen (not shown)and produces a correspondingly modulated primary electrical signal. Thesignal is transmitted by a conductor 4 to a television tape recorder 5which transforms the record of the original photographic film 1 into amagnetic tape record.

At any desired time, the tape record is fed to the playback machine 6the outline of which substantially reproduces the primary pickup signal.The playback machine 6 is connected to a video amplifier 7 equipped witha set of controls 8 which permit the response of the amplifier to bevaried in the usual manner for brightness, contrast, and dimensionalproperties and proportions of the output image.

The video amplifier 7 is equipped with an outliner circuit 10 which isshown to be mounted on aseparate chassis and to have its individualcontrols 11, but it will be appreciated that the outliner circuit itwould normally be combined with the video amplifier 7 on a singlechassis, with the controls assembled on a single apron of the chassis oron a single control panel.

The outliner circut 10 may be of a known type such as that described byR. H. Hallows in the Journal of the SMPTE, vol. 70, pages 23-26. Thecircuit includes a standard pentode amplifier tube which is operatedbelow the knee of the plate characteristic to obtain a reversal oftransfer characteristic slope. Selected amplitude increments of a videosignal are projected over this reversing characteristic and theremaining video portions not in the immediate vicinity of the reversalare deleted. The outliner amplifier 10 thus has an ofi response tosignal levels both higher and lower than the selected input level, andan on response to signals corresponding to a selected brightness of thecorresponding portion of the original photographic film 1. The output ofthe amplifier 7 as modified by the outliner circuit 19 is fed to acontrol monitor 12 which shows an outline image corresponding to theoriginal photographic image as modified by the controls 8, 11. The linesof the outline image trace those portions of the original image whichare within the selected brightness range. This range may be shifted bythe controls 11 toward or away from maximum picture brightness.

The output of the outliner amplifier It) is also fed to a televisionkinescope monitor 13 directly coupled with a photographic motion picturecamera 14 and synchronized with the tape recorder 6 to'produce one orseveral frames of 35 mm. outline film corresponding to each frame of theoriginal black-and-white film 1. The synchonization of the motionpicture camera 14 with the tape playback machine 6 may be achieved inany desired manner. A conductor 15 is shown to indicate asynchronization connection, not otherwise illustrated, between theplayback machine 6 and the camera 14.

The outline film is developed and employed in a cel enlarger projectorin the usual manner to produce positive outline cels corresponding tothe individual frames of the original black-and-white film. The termcels is employed in the manner conventional in this art to designatephotographically or otherwise produced transparent images substantiallygreater than the frames of standard 35 mm. film to which they willeventually be transferred by photographic processing.

The outline cels obtained by magnification of the outline kinescope filmare touched up, colored as desired, and combined with background andartwork for conventional shooting of a negative color film in a standardanimation camera. A release film is produced from the negative as isusual.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 anddescribed above may be modified in many respects. The primary signal fedto the video amplifier may be obtained directly from a video pickuptaking a live scene. The pickup may record a live action scene on a tapewhich is then fed to the playback machine.

Alternatively, the optically produced image of the film 1 may be scannedby the video camera pickup 3 the signal of which is directly fedto thevideo amplifier 7. Other arrangements in which pickup means transform anoptical image directly or indirectly into a primary signal to be fed tothe video amplifier 7 and to the outliner amplifier will readily suggestthemselves to those skilled in this art. e The outliner circut 163 whichis sensitive to an input signal corresponding to a particular brightnessvalue of a portion of the original optical image may be replaced by anoutliner circuit responsive to a predetermined brightness differencebetween successively scanned portions of the optical image from the filmll. 7 Such an outliner circuit is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2to include an analyzer 20 of known circuitry which produces an outputpulse whenever the output signal of the amplifier 7 varies. The outputsignal of the analyzer 2% thus varies depending not on the magnitude,but on the rate of magnitude variation of the output signal of the videoamplifier 7 The output signal of the analyzer 243 is fed to adiscriminator 21 which constitutes a high pass filter. It suppressesthose portions of the output signal of the analyzer 2% which are below aminimum level set on the controls 22 of the discriminator 21. The outputof the discriminator 21 is fed to a monitor screen 12 and a kinescopemonitor 13 in the manner described above in connection with theapparatus shown in FIG. 1 to produce a visible outline image in whichlines appear where there was a corresponding sudden transition from anarea of relatively great to an area of low brightness or vice versa onthe film 1. While the analyzer Ztl and discriminator 21 have beenillustrated as independent units, they will normally be combined withthe video amplifier 7. FIG. 3 shows a representative arrangementemployed for photographing human actors or other moving objects in a topplan view. The camera 31 is loaded with high contrast black-and-whiemotion picture film 1. The actor 32 is preferably dressed in white orvery lightly colored garments and his make-up is chalk white. He movesagainst a black background 33 since it is desired to obtain mainlyoverall outline cels of the body. Dark accent stripes and other darkoverlays may be applied to his clothing and to his features wherecorresponding lines are desired in the final product.

Lighting is applied by two groups of lamps. A first group 34 is arrangedbehind the actor and laterally oifset from the line of sight of thecamera. This group provides particularly great contrast between thebackground and the rim of the moving figure. A second group 35 of lamps36 is arranged to provide fiat lighting parallel to the camera axis. Thenegative film produced by this arrangement has no detail in the blackbackground and very little detail in the white moving figure except forthe aforementioned accent stripes.

There is, however, some gradation in the white Where portions of thebody such as the arm 37 are placed between the camera 31 and anotherbody portion. PEG. 4 shows a body portion of the actor 32 with his arm37 placed before him. The arm casts a penumbra 33 due to the spacedarrangements of the individual lamps ss. It is very desirable toreproduce this penumbra, iight though it may be, by an outline in theultimate outline cel. If this cannot be done, it would be necessary toshow the outlines of the lower arm and hand in the cel by drawing themindividually.

The controls of the video amplifier '7 and of the outliner amplifier11.6 or those of the discriminator Z1 permit the relatively smalldifferences in brightness due to the penumbra 38 to be reproducedproperly on the kinescope monitor 13 in the form of an outline. Theadjustments required are fairly critical, but they can be readily madebecause of the provision of the monitor screen 12. In the arrangementillustrated in FIG. 1, the corresponding portion of the television taperecord is run through the playback machine 6 repeatedly until thecontrols 11 are properly set to produce the desired image on the monitorscreen 12. Only then is a film exposed in the camera 14.

It may be possible to achieve similar results in a purely photographicarrangement employing optical means and special laboratory processingfor transforming the original black-and-white film into a sequence ofoutline images, but it would hardly be practical. The time involved intaking and processing sample strips is sufiiciently long to alter thecritical test conditions from one take to the next. It is apparent thatrerunning a television tape through the playback machine 6, or rerunningthe blackand-white film 1 through the projector 2 where the televisioncamera pickup 3 is directly connected to the video amplifier 7 is verymuch simpler, faster, and more economical than repeatedly exposing andprocessing portions of a film. The method of the present invention thusprovides the first practical method of inspecting and editing outlinefilm produced from a live action film while the image is beingtransferred from one film to the other.

The familiar controls 8 of the video amplifier 7 permit many specialeffects to be produced simply and conveniently that are not readilyavailable with purely photographic methods. 'The size of the outlineimage may be reduced or enlarged either in its entirety or selectivelyas is well known. Linearity controls of conventional type permitdistortions of the image which give to the final product one of thecharacteristic features of the original hand drawn cels. The flexibilityof the system is further enhanced by the ease with which any desiredeifect may be first tried without actual exposure of sensitized film andwithout the assistance of the processing laboratory. The director hasfull control over important aspects of the production by merelymanipulating a few control buttons. He can rehearse special effects andrepeat the rehearsal as many times as needed within a short period witha minimum of expense and without losing any time while waiting for theresults of his Work to be made visible.

It is a particular advantage of the method of the invention thatphotographic laboratory processing work is limited to the routineprocessing of the original blackand-white film and to the equallyroutine processing of the final outline film from which outline celsready for touch-up and coloring may be produced by conventionalautomatic machinery.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosurerelates to only preferred embodiments of the invention and that it isintended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of theinvention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do notconstitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention setforth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a method of producing a motion picture film of the animatedcartoon type, the steps of producing an optical image of a live action,said image having a plurality of portions differing in brightness;sequentially scanning said portions; producing a primary electricalsignal sequentially modulated according to the brightness of thesequentially scanned image portions; generating an electrical outlinesignal selectively responsive to the modulation of a portion of saidprimary signal corresponding to a predetermined brightness property ofsaid optical image and deleting the remainder of said primary signal,said remainder corresponding to a brightness property different fromsaid predetermined property, said property being selected from the groupconsisting of a brightness difference between successively scannedportions of said image and a brightness value of a scanned portion;transforming said outline signal into a visible outline image;controlling the response of said outline signal to said modulation tomodify said outline image; and producing a photographic record of saidmodified outline image.

2. In an apparatus for producing an outline motion film, in combination,pickup means for scanning an optical image and for generating a primaryelectrical signal modulated responsive to the brightness of successivelyscanned portions of said image; amplifier means in circuit with saidpickup means for generating an outline signal selectively responsive tothe modulation of said primary signal corresponding to a predeterminedbrightness difference between successively scanned portions of saidimage, and for deleting the remainder of said primary signal, saidremainder corresponding to a brightness difference other than saidpredetermined brightness difference; monitor means in circuit with saidamplifier means for transforming said outline signal into a visibleoutline image, said amplifier means including control means forcontrolling the response thereof to said modulation whereby said outlineimage may be modified; and recording means for recording said visibleimage.

3. In an apparatus for producing an outline motion film, in combination,pickup means for scanning an optical image and for generating a primaryelectrical signal modulated responsive to the brightness of successivelyscanned portions of said image; amplifier means in circuit with saidpickup means for generating an outline signal selectively responsive tothe modulation of said primary signal corresponding to a predeterminedbrightness value of a scanned portion, and for deleting the remainder ofsaid primary signal, said remainder corresponding to a brightness valuedifferent from said predetermined brightness value; monitor means incircuit with said amplifier means for transforming said outline signalinto a visible outline image, said amplifier means including controlmeans for controlling the response thereof to said modulation wherebysaid outline image may be modified; and recording means for recordingsaid visible image.

4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said amplifier meansincluding analyzer means in circuit with said pick up means forproducing an output pulse of a level responsive to the rate of magnitudevariation of said primary signal; and discriminator means connected tosaid analyzer means for suppressing the pulses produced by said analyzermeans which are below a predetermined level, the remainder of saidpulses constituting said outline signal.

5. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said remainder correspondingto a brightness difference smaller than said predetermined brightnessdifference.

6. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 3, said amplifier meansincluding amplifier tube means having a predetermined platecharacteristic including a knee, circuit means connected to said tubemeans for operating the latter below the knee of said platecharacteristic, and respective circuit means for operatively connectingsaid tube means to said pickup means and to said monito means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,073,370 3/37Goldsmith 1786.7

DAVID G. REDINBAUGH, Primary Examiner.

E. JAMES SAX, Examiner.

1. IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING A MOTION PICTURE FILM OF THE ANIMATEDCARTOON TYPE, THE STEPS OF PRODUCING AN OPTICAL IMAGE OF A LIVE ACTION,SAID IMAGE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PORTIONS DIFFERING IN BRIGHTNESS;SEQUENTIALLY SCANNING SAID PORTIONS; PRODUCING A PRIMARY ELECTRICALSIGNAL SEQUENTIALLY MOLDULATED ACCORDING TO THE BRIGHTNESS OF THESEQUENTIALLY SCANNED IMAGE PORTIONNS; GENERATING AN ELECTRICAL OUTLINESIGNAL SELECTIVELY RESPONSIVE TO THE MODULATION OF A PORTION OF SAIDPRIMARY SIGNAL CORRESPONDING TO A PREDETERMINED BRIGHTNESS PROPERTY OFSAID OPTICAL IMAGE AND DELETING THE REMAINDER OF SAID PRIMARY SIGNAL,SAID REMAINDER CORRESPONDING A BRIGHTNESS PROPERTY DIFFERENT FROM SAIDPREDETERMINED PROPERTY, SAID PROPERTY BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUPCONSISTING OF A BRIGHTNESS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESSIVELY SCANNEDPORTIONS OF SAID IMAGE AND A BRIGHTNESS VALUE OF A SCANNED PORTION;TRANSFORMING SAID OUTLINE SIGNAL INTO A VISIBLE OUTLINE IMAGE;CONTROLLING THE RESPONSE OF SAID OUTLINE SIGNAL TO SAID MODULATION TOMODIFY SAID OUTLINE IMAGE; AND PRODUCING A PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF SAIDMODIFIED OUTLINE IMAGE